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How well do you know your Highway Code

Ah, the Highway Code – the thing that has been keeping drivers, pedestrians, horse riders, horses and cyclists safe for years on Britain’s roads. You’ve got to love it and, what’s more, you’ve got to know it inside out (supposedly) if you’d like to possess a UK driving license. Having said that, there are a fair few surprises hidden away in the Highway Code that never fail to surprise its readers.

Below are just a few of our favourite Highway Code surprises. Which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments – and if there any additions you think need to be made, tell us about them, too!

Driving a mobility scooter? Know your limits!

It is admittedly slightly unusual to have to overtake a mobility scooter, as most of them sensibly stick to the pavements. However, if you do ever overtake one on the road, make a guess at its speed. Mobility scooters are legally only allowed to travel at 4mph in the UK. There are websites aplenty offering ‘souped up’ mobility scooters – I wonder just how many of them know the rules of the road.

Keep your sheep under control

Even the most recent edition of the Highway Code contains a section entitled ‘Animal Herding’. How much attention drivers and wannabe drivers pay to it, I’m not sure, but cast an eye in its direction and it’s difficult not to have a chuckle. For the Highway Code insists that animal herders send someone up the road, ahead of the animals, to warn approaching vehicles that they are about to hit a traffic jam, of sorts. It is apparently particularly important when approaching a bend, or at the top of a hill.

Know your arm signals

Touch wood nobody ever experiences broken signals. The first edition of the Highway Code contained a much bigger section on arm signals, but now there are only three left, for when your indicators have stopped working. Circle your arm anti-clockwise (out of the window of course) to signal a left turn, keep it out straight for a right turn and flap it up and down like a bird’s wing to show that you’re going to stop. Easy, eh? Surprisingly, given modern manners and what not, there is no official arm signal to show disapproval to other drivers.

Think of the environment

We’ve all had it shoved down our throats that driving is bad for the environment, and we’re all fully aware that some vehicles are ‘less bad’ for the health of the planet. There are also certain things that can be done to protect the Ozone layer, according to the Highway Code. The code states that if you’re going to be stopping for more than ‘a couple of minutes’ at the start of the road, there’s no excuse for not turning off the engine. Well, there is – you can keep the engine running while faults are being diagnosed, but if you think you can keep it running just to keep the car warm, then you’ve got another thing coming.

What additions do you think should be made to the Highway Code? Let us know in the comments below.